The present invention relates to a colored pearl produced by the culturing method, in particular, it relates to a colored pearl produced by the culturing method wherein a molded article being comprised essentially of calcium carbonate and having a desired color is used as a pearl nucleus, namely a foreign particle which is coated with layers of nacre.
Cultured pearls are manufactured in the manner of inserting a nucleus in a mollusk with shells such as a pearl oyster, culturing said mollusk for a predetermined period of time, and thus forming a pearl layer on the surface of said nucleus. In order to yield high quality pearls in this pearl culturing method, however, it is very important to select the nuclei to be inserted in the body of the mollusk accurately. It has generally been pointed out that the nuclei used in pearl culturing should meet the necessary conditions that said nuclei are not so poisonous as to put the mollusk to death, said nuclei should not be rejected by the mollusk, said nuclei should be superior in implantation to migrating cells, said nuclei should each have a specific gravity substantially equal to that of calcium carbonate, said nuclei are free from color shade, said nuclei have smooth surfaces and the like. Under these circumstances, as the nuclei for cultured pearls, there have been widely used those obtained by polishing the shells of Anodonta Calypigos and the like in the shape of small ball. However, it is to be noted that cultured pearls obtained by using the above mentioned nuclei made of shells are ordinarily silver-white colored, because said nuclei are white-colored.